Sling bow



J 0, 1962 c. A. SAUNDERS 3,018,770

SLINGJBOW Filed May 15, 1958 FIG. 8

INVENTOR. CHARLES A. SAUNDERS ATTORN EYS 1%.; QW W I 3,018,770 SLING BOWCharles A. Saunders, 313 Morton Road, Columbus, Nehr. Filed May 15,1958, Ser. No. 735,633 4 Claims. (Cl. 124-40) This invention relates toa sling bow, being a device similar to a sling shot, but arranged andadapted for the shooting of arrows, as distinct from pebbles, pellets,or the like. The principal object of the invention is to provide a newand improved sling bow with which arrows may be shot with force andaccuracy, and which has a long useful life and is well adapted toeconomical mass production.

An additional object is to provide an arrow rest which is readily thrustout of position by the followthrough motion of the sling, and thusminimizing injury to the sling and arrow rest.

A further object is to provide a pivoted sight structure which isreadily rotated out of position when struck by the sling on thefollow-through movement thereof.

Another feature relates to the provision of a cross tie at the rear endof the elastic power links of the sling, located forward of theconnecting pull portion and arranged to receive the notch in the nock ofthe arrow, enhancing the accuracy of the device and greatly facilitatingits use.

Other features relate to an improved arrangement for securing the endsof the elastic power links to the sling frame and to the pull andcross-tie structure.

The foregoing and other features and objects of the invention and themanner of attaining them will become more apparent, and the inventionitself will be best understood, by reference to the followingdescription of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 shows the device assembled for use by a right-handed user andin distended and sighted position in readiness for an arrow to be shottoward 'a target;

FIGURE 2 shows the structure in upright position with the sling relaxed;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of the device taken along line 4-4 ofFIGURE 1, showing the device as seen from the target side;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view of the device as seen in FIGURE 1 with theintermediate portion of the elastic links and the arrow broken away;

FIGURES 5 to 7 are sectional views taken along section lines 5-5 to 77of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 9 shows the arrow rest adjusted to accommodate a smaller arrow.

As shown in FIGURES 1 to 4, the device comprises a metal frame A made ofa single piece of formed rod, sight fitting B, arrow-rest fitting (3,power links D in the form of tubes of live rubber, cross tie E forpropelling an arrow, and pull bead F which terminates the pull loop 46.

Rod 3 of which frame A is composed is in the form of a loop havingsymmetrical side arms ending at support posts or prongs 5 and 6.Cushioning arm rest 2, which may comprise a tube of sponge rubber,surrounds the looped end of the frame rod. Both side arms of the framerod are surrounded and held firmly together by hand grip 4, which maycomprise a tube of live plastic material which is forced onto the outerends of the side arms of the frame before these arms are offsetoutwardly to provide the finished prongs '5 and 6.

As illustrated in FIGURE 1, the preferred manner of use is to thrust thehand through the end loop and to grasp the hand grip 4, with the handgrip 4 held horizontally. The nocked arrow 20 may then rest between theoutwardly spread prongs of arrow-rest 33 by gravity. At that time thespurs 16 and 17 of the sight member 13 form horizontal sight lines atsuccessive levels above the arrow.

Fittings B and C may be formed of tough plastic of medium hardness. Eachsuch fitting has an opening accommodating the straight end portion ofeither prong 5 or prong 6, and each has an internal key for cooperatingwith keyway 7 or keyway -8 in the prongs, preventing turning of thefitting.

Each of the fittings B and C carries a pull stud indicated at 9 forfitting B and at 29 for fitting C. These studs are necked at 10 and 30to assist in retaining the forward end of the stretched power-link pulltubes D from pulling off.

Sight fitting B has a pair of annular grooves 11 and 12, either of whichmay be used to retain the sight 18 in place when its loop or band 14 iswithin the groove. Sight 13 may be molded of tough plastic havingsubstantial flexibility. It carries sight spurs 16 and 17, and alsocarries stop studs 18 and 19, either of which (depending upon whetherthe sight is assembled in groove 11 or in groove 12) is positioned tostop the sight in operated position upon engagement with pull stud 9 offitting B. Elongated slot 15 provides flexibility which permits loop 14to yield for installation and removal of the sight and to permit it toseat rather snugly in a groove 11 or 12.

Arrow-rest 33 has the form of a single piece of looped and formed wireextending doubly and symmetrically from a looped end 34 to the outwardlyflared knob ends 39. Parts 35 and 36 partly encircle fitting C, beingretained in grooves 31 and 32. The arrow rest may thus rotate about theaxis of fitting C, being held in any desired position by frictionbetween itself and the grooves 31, 3 2. In the position of the arrowrest shown in FIG- which pass through slide 40 are curved or angledoutwardly as shown in FIGURES 3 and 9. Consequently, with slide 40 inits lowermost position as shown in FIG- URES 3 and 4, the open prongs ofthe arrow rest are farther apart to accommodate a larger arrow 20 L.When a smaller arrow (indicated in cross section at 20-3 in FIGURE 9) isto be accommodated and maintained at substantially the same level as thelarger arrow, slide 40 may be raised to the position shown in FIGURE 9to bring the support prongs of the arrow rest 33 somewhat closertogether for that purpose. Moreover, even when using a single size ofarrow, some users prefer to adjust slider 40 up or down according to thepitch desired.

At the rear of the sling, power-link tubes D are secured to tie studs43, each of which has a necked portion 44 having the same grip-assistingfunction as noted in connection with necked portions 10 and 30 of pullstuds 9 and 29 of fittings B and C. Tie studs 43 are of bifurcateconstruction as shown best in FIGURES 7 and 8, and a cross slot 45 isprovided in each stud for grippingly receiving the ends of cross tiemember E. Cross slots 45 also receive the knotted ends 47 of pull cord46., which enters the space 45 in either tie stud 43 through a hole inthe end of the stud.

Pull cord 43 and cross tie E are assembled with tie studs 43 before thepower links D are applied to the studs. In the preferred illustratedconstruction, the pull cord 46 is of tough stranded thermoplasticmaterial, and the ends of the assembled pull cord are heated andflattened to provide knots 47 (FIGURES 7 and 8) which are too wide to beretracted through their openings of insertion in studs 43.

Cross tie E is preferably composed of a cord 42 which is covered by atube 41 of live rubber to provide good gripping action and a totalthickness substantially in excess of the width of cross slots 45. Forassembly of the cross tie E, the two portions of the bifurcate studs 43are spread apart to receive the cross tie within cross slots 45. Then,the two parts of the bifurcate stud '43 are brought together and areinserted within the open ends of the tubular power links D, which arestretched diametrically by the operation. The cross tie is therebygripped and compressed, and firmly held in position.

Since live rubber, of which tubular power links D are composed, hasrelatively low friction when in contact with a wet surface, pull studs43 are preferably wetted before the tubular links D are pushed thereoverinto their illustrated position, in which position they shortly setfirmly upon drying. A similar wetting procedure may be employed inapplying the tubular power links D in their illustrated position onstuds 9 and 29 of fittings B and C.

If the sling bow is to be assembled for use by a lefthanded person, itsuffices to remove parts B and C by sliding them off the ends of theposts or prongs, whereupon parts B and C may be turned over and eachapplied to the opposite prong. Sight 13 may be allowed to remain ingroove 12 or may be transferred to groove 11.

When an arrow 20 is discharged from the tensionedsling position of thedevice illustrated in FIGURE 1, the rear portion of the sling follows asthe arrow 20 is propelled forwardly, and thus makes contact with arrowrest 33 and sight structure 13 with considerable force. Structures 13and 33 are only frictionally held in operative position. Accordingly,when struck, arrow rest 33 rotates forwardly around fitting C, and sightstructure 13 rotates around fitting B, thus greatly minimizing thepercussive force and adding greatly to the life of the sling parts andof the sight and arrow-rest structures.

Before the next shooting operation, structures 33 and 13 may be rotatedback to their respective desired operative positions.

If the disclosed structure is to be employed as a sling shot, as toshoot pebbles, pellets, and the like, it suffices to remove cross tie Eand pull cord 46 and to substitute a suitable strap or pouch. Thearrow-rest 33 is unneeded for sling-shot use, and may be maintainedrotated forwardly out of the line of missile discharge, but the sightstructure 13 may be retained in operative position and employed for thesame sighting purposes as when arrows are being aimed and shot.

While I have described above the principles of my invention inconnection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood thatthis description is made only by way of example and not as a limitationto the scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A sling bow comprising a frame having a hand-grip portion from whichsimilar opposed prongs extend, tubular elastic power links attached atone end respectively to the prongs, a cross tie connecting the other endof the power links and adapted to operati'vely engage the nock of anarrow to be shot from the sling bow, a pull cord also connecting saidother end of the power links rearwardly of the cross tie, a pair ofbifurcated pull studs, each tubular link having an end portion remotefrom said prongs and receiving the diverging arms of the pull stud andcompressing them together, said cross tie being gripped between thecompressed arms of each pull stud, said pull-cord extending rearwardlyfrom the non-bifurcated end of each pull stud.

2. A sling bow according to claim 1, wherein each pull stud includes anelongated widened retaining portion between the diverging arms thereofnear their base, each pull stud including a central opening extendingthrough its non-bifurcate end portion into the said retaining portion,the associated end portion of said pull cord extending into saidretaining portion and having an attached enlargement which prevents itswithdrawal from the opening, said cross tie being grippingly held withinthe forward section of said widened retaining portions of each pullstud.

3. A sling bow according to claim 2, wherein said pull cord is composedof thermoplastic strands and each end section thereof terminates in ablade-like enlargement of the type which may be formed thereon by heatand pressure.

4. A sling bow according to claim 2, wherein the cross tie comprises acord core closely surrounded by a soft rubber tube to avoid fraying ofthe cord and to enhance the desired gripping action within the saidretaining portion of the said tie studs and within the neck notch of anarrow.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,625,926 Foster Jan. 20, 1953 2,645,217 Fisher July 14, 1953 2,672,857Gauthier Mar. 23, 1954 2,715,895 Loveless Aug. 23, 1955 2,742,702Williams Apr. 24, 1956 2,743,716 Wendt May 1, 1956 2,767,472 Kocur Oct.23, 1956 2,785,453 Wentz Mar. 19, 1957 2,802,461 Vance Aug. 13, 19572,807,254 Stritling Sept. 24, 1957 2,829,416 Sam Apr. 8, 1958

